Cruises have a novel attraction relating to vacationing with little ones.
There’s no packing and unpacking between locations, loads of actions for all ages, and, crucially, alternatives for fogeys to have some alone time. Not like different holidays that may really feel like nonstop parenting marathons, a family-friendly cruise like these provided by Royal Caribbean permits dad and mom to unwind and recharge.
Royal Caribbean markets itself as the last word family-friendly cruise line, and it’s straightforward to see why. In case you’re searching for a extra adult-centered expertise, there are different cruise strains to discover. However for households, particularly these with infants, Royal Caribbean’s setup is right.
Our 7-night crusing on Icon of the Seas was my child’s first cruise and my first time navigating a trip with a toddler in tow. Fortunately, the ship’s considerate facilities and the Journey Ocean program helped make the expertise unforgettable.
Journey Ocean: A game-changer for fogeys
Over my years of cruising, I’ve come to know and love most of what Royal Caribbean has to supply, however this journey introduced me into new territory as I explored their famend youth program: Journey Ocean. Particularly designed for households, this program presents actions and babysitting providers for kids aged 6 months to 12 years, with age-appropriate groupings to make sure each youngster has a enjoyable expertise.
Journey Ocean’s Royal Infants & Tots (or Journey Ocean Infants on the Icon of the Seas) is designed for kids from 6 months to 36 months. It consists of actions and playtime that hold little ones engaged, permitting dad and mom to get pleasure from a while to themselves.
For older youngsters, there are much more choices: Aquanauts (ages 3-5), Explorers (ages 6-8), and Voyagers (ages 9-12), every with areas and applications geared to their pursuits.
What to like about Journey Ocean
Journey Ocean is a fan favourite amongst households, and it’s straightforward to see why. It’s not unusual to listen to that oldsters typically discover that their youngsters favor spending time right here over accompanying them across the ship.
Between the colourful play areas and the expertly crafted actions, it’s no surprise youngsters beg to return. From black-light puppet exhibits to bedtime tales beneath the celebs in Surfside, the applications are entertaining and enriching, making Journey Ocean a real win-win for fogeys and kids alike.
Throughout our cruise, there have been infinite actions for teenagers, together with a haunted home expertise only for little ones and themed play periods. These options set Journey Ocean aside, showcasing Royal Caribbean’s dedication to making a memorable family-friendly expertise.
Babysitting providers
For folks of infants, probably the most worthwhile providers is the Journey Ocean Infants program, obtainable on choose Royal Caribbean ships.
Whereas there’s a small hourly payment—$6 per hour till 6 p.m. and $8 per hour from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m.—it’s an reasonably priced charge in comparison with the price of babysitters on land. The place I stay, babysitting can price upwards of $20 an hour, so this onboard service felt like an incredible deal.
Reservations are required for the newborn program as a result of want for a secure ratio of caregivers to youngsters. On our crusing, the Icon of the Seas’ child and toddler room might accommodate ten youngsters throughout sea days and eight on port days, with a number of workers members within the room always. Understanding my child was in good fingers with certified workers made it straightforward to calm down and luxuriate in some much-needed time for myself.
Registration for Journey Ocean Infants
Top-of-the-line suggestions I obtained was to go on to Journey Ocean for registration as quickly as we boarded. It’s a small however essential step, as registration ensures your infant is on the record for this system and avoids any last-minute hiccups. Moreover, for the Journey Ocean Infants program, early registration helps you to e book time slots earlier than they replenish.
After finishing the necessary muster drill, we went straight to the Journey Ocean space. There have been no strains, and we had been greeted by a pleasant workers member who walked us by way of the registration course of on a pill.
The shape allowed us to share important details about our daughter’s consuming and sleeping habits, in addition to any particular wants. We additionally designated who in our get together was allowed to verify her out of this system.
One useful function we obtained throughout registration was a DECT telephone. This telephone allowed the workers to succeed in us anytime whereas we had been on the ship, which introduced super peace of thoughts.
Nonetheless, it’s value noting that this telephone solely works on board, so we had been unavailable if we took a shore tour. We signed an settlement acknowledging a substitute payment if the telephone was misplaced or broken, starting from $25 to $300 relying on the situation.
Reserving time slots
As soon as we accomplished registration, we had been able to e book our preliminary time slots. Initially, households are restricted to reserving six hours at a time, with the choice to verify again after Day 3 to see if further hours can be found.
Understanding prematurely after we wished baby-free time was useful, and we used the Cruise Planner to map out actions. This manner, we maximized our expertise and secured the care slots we would have liked.
An added bonus we realized about was nursery entry for households booked on Royal Caribbean excursions throughout port days. This feature permits dad and mom to make use of the service even when nursery capability is restricted.
By reserving spots particularly for households on Royal Caribbean excursions, Royal Caribbean ensures dad and mom can get pleasure from these particular actions with out concern for his or her little ones’ care. Whereas we briefly thought-about reserving a nursery slot on a port day to take an tour that concerned bus transportation (which we wouldn’t do with out a automobile seat), we finally determined towards it.
Nonetheless, this feature is incredible for households with older youngsters, particularly since many excursions have a minimal age restrict of round 4 years previous. I used to be shocked that even seaside breaks, which appear excellent for babies, had been typically restricted by age necessities.
Understanding that oldsters of toddlers can nonetheless get pleasure from these excursions with out fear, because of the nursery, is a giant plus for households trying to benefit from their journey.
Exploring Journey Ocean
After finishing registration and chatting with the pleasant nursery workers, we took a fast tour of Journey Ocean. The areas designed for older youngsters had been spectacular; it was straightforward to see why youngsters would love spending time there.
As a result of no youngsters had been at present current within the nursery, we had been allowed to take footage—one thing we couldn’t do in any other case, and we appreciated the thoughtfulness behind that coverage.
I wasn’t certain what to anticipate from the Journey Ocean Infants room, however I used to be genuinely happy with what we discovered. Proper as we entered, a half-wall partition with a door separated the primary nursery space from the doorway. This setup saved the area secure and clear by stopping folks from strolling by way of unnecessarily. The partitioned space allowed us to deal with drop-off and pick-up procedures whereas nonetheless with the ability to see clearly into the primary room.
For added security, the door main into the room is locked and may solely be opened by workers members from the within. The room was spacious, clear, and thoughtfully organized with options for little ones’ enjoyment and luxury. A big playmat within the heart, surrounded by toys and a rocking chair, was designed for play and luxury.
To at least one facet, there was a small desk for toddlers, together with a row of lockers for storing any gadgets introduced from our stateroom. The lavatory was designed particularly for babies, with pint-sized bathrooms that even the youngest might use.
Past one other half-wall, we found a quiet space with cribs and a altering station. This a part of the room was saved dim, with a low-level sound machine enjoying softly for kids who wanted to nap throughout their keep. It was clear that plenty of thought went into making the area as purposeful and comfortable as attainable.
Toy lending baggage
One shock we found was the provision of toy lending baggage by way of Journey Ocean. These baggage, obtainable to households with younger youngsters, are full of age-appropriate toys, books, and actions to maintain little ones entertained within the cabin or across the ship. It’s a wonderful choice for fogeys who don’t need to pack a ton of toys however nonetheless need their youngster to have partaking actions on board.
We picked up a toy bag on the primary day, and it included a wide range of enjoyable, secure, and clear gadgets like a light-up piano, rattles, squeaky toys, and extra—all of which saved our daughter fortunately occupied throughout downtime within the cabin.
Every bag is fastidiously curated by age group, so dad and mom can really feel assured that the toys are appropriate and secure. These aren’t solely free to borrow, however you possibly can change the bag for a brand new one as typically as you want, so there’s all the time one thing recent and thrilling on your youngster.
This service actually added a particular contact to our household cruise, and it’s an important instance of how Royal Caribbean has thought by way of the main points to make touring with younger youngsters simpler. The toy lending baggage allowed us to pack lighter and nonetheless have all of the leisure necessities we would have liked for a soothing household trip.
Our first reservation: clean crusing on a sea day
Our first nursery reservation was scheduled for the second day of the cruise, a full day at sea. We had reserved the 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. slot, hoping to expertise the record-breaking water park—one thing we couldn’t absolutely get pleasure from with our child in tow. We arrived a couple of minutes early, simply in case there was a line.
The check-in course of was fast and easy, which put us comfortable. The workers verified our reservation occasions after which requested to see our SeaPass card for scanning.
They supplied a small label with our child’s title, stateroom quantity, and reservation time, which we had been instructed to position on her again. Subsequent, they inquired about her final feeding and diaper change and whether or not she would must be fed or put down for a nap whereas within the nursery.
Dad and mom can go away a ready bottle or deliver components in pre-portioned containers to be blended as wanted for bottle-fed infants.
If bottles aren’t labeled, workers will mark them with tape and your youngster’s title to make sure they’re solely utilized by your child. Dad and mom are additionally requested to offer diapers, wipes, and different necessities, corresponding to a favourite toy or pacifier. We even had the choice to go away our stroller with them, making it straightforward to benefit from the water park with out further baggage.
The check-in course of took beneath 5 minutes, after which we had been off. Since our child attends daycare throughout the week, she was snug within the nursery atmosphere, which resembled our daycare’s setup again house. Due to the time change we had skilled the night time earlier than, her nap schedule aligned completely with our reservation.
One of many conveniences of Royal Caribbean’s nursery is the DECT telephone system, which permits dad and mom to remain related with out interrupting their actions.
Between every water slide experience and exploration of the ship, we made some extent to verify the telephone for missed calls, which gave us nice peace of thoughts. Understanding we could possibly be reached instantly made it simpler to calm down and luxuriate in our time collectively.
When our two-hour session on the water park was over, we made our approach again to Journey Ocean. By then, the nursery was busier, and one other household was checking their youngster in. We realized that the nursery solely permits one household within the room at a time, which retains the area from getting crowded and provides an additional layer of security for the kids.
The pickup course of was simply as clean as check-in. After scanning our SeaPass card to verify we had been licensed to select up our child, the workers shared a fast overview of her time there. They seen she beloved the bouncer chair and spent an excellent a part of the session fortunately enjoying.
When she started exhibiting sleepy cues, as famous in our registration, they laid her down in one of many cribs, the place she napped. This consideration to element and customized care reassured us that she was in wonderful fingers.
Since she was nonetheless sleeping, they allowed considered one of us to enter the room to get her. They shortly buzzed me in, and I used to be in a position to decide her up from the crib to attempt to protect the nap. We actually appreciated this, as anybody who has handled a sleeping child is aware of that waking them early can finish badly.
After beginning off with a constructive expertise, we had been in a position to breathe a sigh of aid. Regardless that our daughter is used to childcare, you by no means understand how they might react in a brand new atmosphere, and with this room having a bigger age vary than our house daycare, we weren’t certain if that may influence something.
Following experiences
Because the subsequent day was Day 3 and we had been feeling assured, we known as them within the morning to see if there have been any further time slots obtainable. We had been in luck! Whereas they didn’t inform us precisely how a lot time was obtainable, they requested what hours we had been searching for. We reserved a dinner slot that night time, so we might calm down and benefit from the Foremost Eating Room with out feeling rushed.
Later that night, we additionally took benefit of some post-dinner time. My husband tried out the thrilling Crowns Edge expertise, whereas I spent a while assembly the Chief Canine Officer, Rover. It was refreshing to share some “grown-up” time collectively with out worrying about our infant.
This expertise was similar to our first, and after we returned, our daughter was napping once more. This time, they talked about they initially tried to place her in a crib, however she had bother settling. In order that they positioned her in her stroller, rocked it a bit, and he or she drifted off. The workers even pushed her stroller into the dimly lit crib space, letting us roll her out peacefully, which was a pleasant contact and one thing we’d pre-approved as a backup choice.
Our third reservation was on Day 4, and it was our first time testing a previous bedtime drop-off. Usually, we persist with a strict bedtime routine, however we determined to loosen the reins and flow.
We dropped her off at 7 p.m. so we might catch the 7:30 p.m. grownup comic present. We made certain to do our ordinary pre-bed routine, together with bathtub time and altering her into pajamas however saved her night bottle for Journey Ocean Infants.
Once we picked her up later, we had been glad to listen to she had settled in, completed her bottle, and fallen asleep in a crib. I managed to switch her again to our cabin with out waking her up—one thing I’m certain fellow dad and mom can respect as a small victory!
Our final reservation was on Day 6 from 1:30 p.m. to three:30 p.m., so we might catch a favourite present, Love & Marriage. Nonetheless, I’d mistakenly remembered it as a 2 p.m. reservation and didn’t understand till we confirmed up at 1:50 p.m. Fortunately, since they weren’t at capability, they prolonged our reservation, letting us keep till 4 p.m.
Half an hour later, nonetheless, our telephone rang—alarming us, because it had been virtually inactive your entire cruise. The workers knowledgeable us that our daughter was crying, they usually could not soothe her. We instantly left the present and headed over to select her up.
Once we arrived, I discovered one of many workers holding her, attempting to calm her down. It was uncharacteristic of our daughter to be so upset, and I puzzled if she may need taken a small tumble since she’s nonetheless studying to take a seat up unassisted.
They assured me that she was bodily effective however was merely unable to self-regulate at that second. I took her into the hallway to assuage her whereas the workers helped collect our stroller and diaper bag. As soon as she calmed down, we returned to our cabin, the place she napped and wakened as again as her ordinary self.
Reflecting on this, I noticed she may need been experiencing early indicators of separation anxiousness, a typical stage for infants. She was additionally beginning to teethe, which has made her a bit extra irritable than ordinary, a sample we seen even after returning house.
Total ideas
Regardless that our final session at Journey Ocean Infants was minimize brief, I felt relieved figuring out she was in succesful, caring fingers.
Infants cry—it is how they specific themselves. I’ve seen loads of adults shed tears on a cruise (particularly later within the night after just a few drinks), so it’s all a part of the expertise! What issues most is how youngsters are responded to, and Royal Caribbean has clearly taken the time to vet their Journey Ocean workers, prioritizing professionalism and heat.
Cruising with a child might sound daunting, however Royal Caribbean’s family-friendly strategy and well-designed Journey Ocean program make it an satisfying expertise for fogeys and little ones alike.
Whether or not you’re a first-time father or mother cruiser or seasoned sailor, you’ll discover that this mixture of facilities and considerate providers permits for a memorable, stress-free journey that everybody within the household can get pleasure from.
